Addis Ababa, 12 June 2014 —Twenty CEOs of Ethiopian companies joined together to discuss the importance of responsible practices to their business strategies at the UN Global Compact CEO Roundtable on Corporate Sustainability in Ethiopia.

Hosted together with the Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI), business leaders and executives shared their experiences in corporate responsibility, including on issues of women’s empowerment, decent work, education, and efforts to support their communities through job creation and responsible development.

Addressing the audience, Georg Kell, Executive Director of the Global Compact, stated, “It is time to celebrate responsible entrepreneurship in Ethiopia. Through the Global Compact, Ethiopian companies can connect with like-minded organizations around the world that are embracing long-term goals beyond financial returns, but also linked to social, environmental and governance priorities.”

Launched in 2000, the United Nations Global Compact is both a policy platform and a practical framework for companies that are committed to sustainability and responsible business practices. As a multi-stakeholder leadership initiative, it seeks to align business operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and to catalyze actions in support of broader UN goals. With 8,000 corporate signatories in 145 countries, it is the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative. www.unglobalcompact.org

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